Is it Realistic to Avoid a Nursing Home Stay?

Most senior citizens do not want to stay in a nursing home. Even though there is sometimes a sense of community in these care facilities, they have gained a bad reputation amongst seniors over the years because of what they stand for. Many view nursing homes as a place where they will go–against their will–when no one wants to help them anymore. And while this has been true of some cases in the past, that’s usually not the intent of the family members and others that make these decisions. Still, a nursing home tends to be an unwelcome care choice for seniors.

 

Now, add to this the fact that some nursing homes have been in the news because or abuse or poor quality of care, and there is even greater reason for elderly individuals to want to stay out of these care facilities.

 

As family members who love our parents and grandparents, it can be tempting to tell them not to worry about this, that we will do all that we can to keep them out of a nursing home. But is this really a good choice? Is this a promise that we can honestly make?

 

Sometimes, it is not realistic to avoid the nursing home at all. In fact, because of the unique care that a nursing home provides, sometimes it is actually the best type of care that can be given. It all depends on the needs that your elderly loved one has. No one really wants to stay in a nursing home, but for some, it is the best choice.

 

Avoiding the nursing home is not always possible, but there are things that you can do to reduce the odds of needing it.

 

With that said, a stay in a nursing home isn’t always the best course of action. In fact, nursing homes are used far too often today. Other forms of care, such as in-home care, are often far superior when it comes to the balance between the type of care that is received and the amount of independence that is maintained. Finding a type of care that meets all of the needs of your family is the best thing that you can do for them. In-home care does a far better job of meeting emotional needs than a nursing home does, most of the time.

 

If there are advanced medical needs present, in-home health care can also be an option. This is nursing home level care, provided by a nurse, but in the setting of the home. This is more expensive than in-home care, but it is often much cheaper than a nursing home because there is no residential cost to take into account.

 

It’s not realistic promise your mom or dad that they will stay out of the nursing home. There’s no real way to tell the future, and you never want to make a promise that you cannot fully keep. However, there are a lot of things that can be done to help reduce the odds of this becoming necessary. If you haven’t done so yet, taking a look at in-home care and what it can do for your family is a good way to help approach this issue.

 

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